THE JAPANESE MINISTER who is supposed to be in charge of cybersecurity strategy and the Tokyo Olympics/Paralympics has admitted that he has never used a computer.

Yoshitaka Sakurada, deputy chief of cybersecurity, is no spring chicken at 68, but his seeming confusion over what a USB drive caused shock amongst his peers, reports the Guardian.

“Since the age of 25, I have instructed my employees and secretaries, so I don’t use computers myself,” he told an open-mouthed group of MPs in the lower house.

He went on to answer a question about the use of USB sticks in Japan’s nuclear facilities, a potential means of infecting systems with malware.

He appeared confused at the question, causing ripples through the house.

Mr Sakurada took office last month in a cabinet reshuffle, and his grasp on the role is reported to be somewhat flimsy.

With less than two years to the opening of the 2020 Olympics, which, inexplicably also comes under his brief, he has already denied knowledge of a visiting North Korean minister to discuss participation, in violation of a blanket ban on citizens entering Japan.

He also suggested that the request by Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to let the North Koreans participate, following an appeal to Kim Jong-un was outside his remit, telling a local paper: “This is not something I should be meddling in in my capacity,”

Erm. Yes it is.

He also claims that government funding for the games would total 1500 yen. That’s about $13, or a tenner.

Although a bizarre situation, Mr Sakurada is not the only person who doesn’t use computers. The legend of tech that is Sir Clive Sinclair is also understood not to use computers for communication, whilst Dan Ackroyd doesn’t even have a phone, just a pager. Others with limited computer use include Winona Ryder, Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt and Sir Elton John. μ

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